artsy ambitions

Roughly a month ago, Zócalo posed this question in Los Angeles: Do the arts make us better people? My own thoughts remained provoked by it as I flew farther away from the event itself. Mostly because I've always considered myself artistic; to the point that I was sure I'd pursue a career in design. Then I changed course. And yet, I don't think it's a coincidence that collecting art is at the top of my "oh, now I've made it" checklist, nor that I'm committed to finding a socially-conscious job with ample creative freedom.

On my last full day at home, Debra and I went out to lunch in Tarrytown. We soup and salad-ed at Sweet Grass Grill, picked up coffees to go from Coffee Lab Roasters, and wandered throughout the many galleries in town. It was my kind of perfect afternoon.

A couple sunny afternoons later, back in Paris, I met Sasha for lunch at the new Haï Kaï. I felt like we were dining in the cafeteria of a contemporary art museum. The space felt that cool, and cold. The food was anything-but-cheap and so absolutely beautiful.

As I'm finding in my research, a qualification for any nouvelle cuisine is the artistry with which the chefs create and present their dishes. I appreciate being able to very occasionally enjoy them. When it comes to visual feasts though, I still prefer galleries, street art, and museums; a much more financially-sound habit. Oh, I've decided to start sketching and collaging again, too... literally drawing inspiration from the works of famous photomontage artists on display nearby. We'll see if I become better. Bon week-end !